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Board approves child nutrition contracts and USDA-donated food purchase totaling about $10 million
Summary
The board approved one-year extensions and new awards for food distribution, milk, produce, USDA-donated foods and related services; the district said amounts vary with participation and will be funded from the Child Nutrition account and general funds where noted.
Jennifer, a child nutrition staff member, presented several procurement items and told the board that the district participates in cooperative bids and federal programs to supply school meals.
The board approved an approximately $6,500,000 award for food products and distribution for the 2025–26 school year to the Panhandle cooperative vendor identified in the presentation; the item is an optional one-year extension under the Panhandle 8 cooperative agreement and will be funded from the Child Nutrition account (account 61). Jennifer noted prices can vary based on meal participation.
The board also approved a milk and dairy extension to Gallagher’s Dairy (approximately $1,000,000 for FY 2026), and an award for produce to Kilmer's Bar Market (approximately $1,500,000), with district staff saying local West Virginia produce will be sourced when available and the Child Nutrition office will work with the vendor to advertise the use of local farms.
Jennifer recommended and the board approved a West Virginia Department of Agriculture purchase order of $1,000,000 to cover USDA-donated foods, processing and freight for the district. She said new freezer capacity had made it feasible to expand participation in the USDA donated-food program and that USDA shipments typically arrive twice a month with fresh produce drops about every two weeks.
Other approved items included a prorated trash-and-recycling contract for FY26 awarded to the lowest bidder (Waste Management) at an approximate prorated cost of $275,000 (split between Child Nutrition and general accounts for the initial partial term) and an Omnia Partners contract for disposables and custodial chemicals and supplies (Weisbrotters/Brady Plus) totaling approximately $1,510,000 split between Child Nutrition and general accounts.
Board members asked whether federal program changes could affect reimbursements. Jennifer said the district's application to participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs has been approved and that the district is slated to use the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) districtwide next year; she added that reimbursement and program funding can change if federal benefit programs are altered. "The amount can vary based upon meal participation," she said.
The board voted on each procurement item during the meeting and approved them without recorded roll-call tallies in the minutes presented.
